Overview

Alzheimer disease is a degenerative disease of the brain that causes gradual loss of memory, judgment, and ability to function socially. Alzheimer disease currently affects about 5 million people.[1] About 75 percent of Alzheimer disease cases are classified as sporadic, which means they occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. Although the cause of these cases is unknown, genetic changes are likely to play a role. Virtually all sporadic Alzheimer disease begins after age 65, and the risk of developing this condition increases as a person gets older.

The remaining cases of Alzheimer disease are familial, which means they are found in multiple members of a family. Familial Alzheimer disease can be divided into early-onset disease (symptoms begin before age 65) and late-onset disease (symptoms begin after age 65).[2]

In Depth Information

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Alzheimer disease type 3. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Resources for Kids

The Alzherimer's Association provides videos and information to help kids and teens deal with the emotions and reactions that are common when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Click on Alzheimer's Association to view these resources.